Im a hallmark camera crew AC in canada, I was so excited to see this video. Typically we use REDs on our non unions, but currently filming a series for next year with 2 alexa mini LFs and some rehoused leica lenses. It changed depending on who your DP is usually.
Dang! Yeah, I kinda figured REDs probably would be used more often now. I'm sure that's interesting depending on who the DP is! Hope you liked the video 😉
I worked as a VFX artist on a few Hallmark films. Most of it involved adding snowfall, removing cables and crew, signage and day for night. We usually dealt with Alexa or Red footage. Saw some of the shows I worked on pop up in this video!
The Alexa’s dynamic range makes it excellent to ensure nothing is blown out in what usually ends up being an all white (snowy) set, also helping with the flat high key look as shadows wont fall off too quickly which will happen in really bright places with low dynamic range cameras. So if quick is the name of the game better camera trumps weaker one with more gaffing and lighting needed
The last like 6 videos I've seen on my home page from you are topics I haven't seen covered before and I didn't know I wanted. Thanks for being creative and supplying us with such high quality content!
I love Christmas Hallmark movies. My entire fsmily loves them. They are cheesy, warm, predictable and completely wholesome and feel good. Aside from thst, I love Christmas not as the day but as an aesthetic, vibe, feeling, music, movies etc the day feels like once it goes everybody forgets about it so i love to listen or watch Christmas whenever i feel like it. If itd winter or rainy so for me this is everything. Id love to live in a Christmas Hallmark movie.☺️🎄☃️
Great video! I work as the EPK director of photography on hallmark movies shot in Winnipeg, Canada. Out of the 20 or so hallmark’s I’ve worked on, every one of them were shot with Alexa Minis.
Nice! Hope the video wasn't too offensive haha. Really didn't want to offend anyone in the industry! And that's so fascinating to me that they use Alexa's for the shoots 🤔 makes sense but the footage just never looks like it's an ARRI 😅
I've acted in a few of these, just did a lead in my first Christmas movie this year! And yes, they shoot them in 15 days usually, less usually. Pretty easy scripts to remember though tbh.
Great summary. Fun to see the Christmas side. Just finished directing my first Hallmark “indie” film for thier summer time movies. Hallmark purchases 40-50 movies per year from outside producers, it’s a great way to get into feature films with relatively low risk if you can stay within the guidelines mentioned here.
@@BuddyQuaid Before making the movie my team and I looked for a distributor that distributes hallmark-esq movies. We talked to them about what they needed to make the movie marketable and created the movie off those guidelines. We made it a win-win, we get input and their connections, and they get a movie they know they can sell.
Before launching Deity I worked a few Hallmark movies. We did them in 13 days, taking 1 day off in thr middle. Most of the crew would than take 6 days off and then start the next one. The production companies goal was 1.5 movies a month. Lifetime and GAC are the same way. ~Andrew
I live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and they film a ton of Hallmark movies here! I literally just walked past a production today. Love your camera breakdowns Frame Voyager...I've almost watched all of your videos. Please keep up the quality content!
I love how dynamic this channel is. Such interesting content and all explained so well and creatively. I always look forward to what you come up with next :)
I really like Hallmark Christmas movies. A _little_ suspension of disbelief may be required at times, but that is a part of the mystique and charm about them.
I agree that the use of Alexas is a bit overkill. But I wonder if using them is somewhat of a failsafe since the production schedule is so tight. Like you quoted from the actors they're lucky to get two takes. Springing for the best of the best on cameras and raw makes sense when things are moving so fast incase there was some kind of exposure issue.
A lot of these are owner operator our production company owned gear. If the company owns the Alexa and uses it on 10 of their movies every year they’re still saving money over renting. Same deal if they’re hiring a dp who owns a camera package already. I’ve worked on this type of Christmas movie shot on 2 MiniLFs and on fx9s, same production company and probably close to the same camera budget
I’m so glad to see this discussion happening here, especially from crew with boots on the ground. Years ago when I was working on something run-and-gun for a network, I suggested shooting raw as a safety measure, and they looked at me like I had two heads. The final grade wasn’t going to be very adventurous, so you could use all that “extra”latitude to fix up any exposure goofs. And so why not save even more scratch by shooting with Blackmagic cameras? [ducking] 😝 Thanks for doing so much homework. Im in Chicago, and the last “major” thing I did was with an all Canadian crew, and I theorized a lot of these aspects you mentioned. All good stuff to know.
Yep, worked on one for Lifetime here in Canada a couple years back before the pandemic. We shot it on a pair of ARRI Amiras, though it didn’t feel like it. The camera team was union but the rest of us weren’t. They kinda oddly brought in American actors for most of the roles and were definitely more demanding and costly than almost all Canadian I’ve worked with. I guess being Lifetime, we had a couple kisses for our leads. We used a mixture of foam and snow mattes. We shot ours in 18 days with the last being a crazy expensive “one day” shoot at an airport thanks to 20hr hours for us department heads and our overtime.
To be a bit fair with the Arri mini. Those rental prices are pretty affordable and since it's non-union, it wouldn't surprise me if it was owned by the DP themselves. Hahaha
Thanks! We try and find topics that will be interesting to general audiences and even film nerds 😅
2 роки тому
A friend of mine was a grip on one of those hallmark movies. It was shot on two arri Alexa. The story was taking place in London but the film was shot entirely in Belgium, mostly in Brussels. The film was released less than two months after finishing shooting... Those guys are crazy...
Cool video. Enjoyed the insight on this volume style of production. If they are hiring different production companies for each project one may own an Alexa and rent it to the production as an additional profitable line item.
ua-cam.com/video/KIAtVqTqJ7k/v-deo.html CBS Sunday Morning just released a piece on Hallmark Christmas movies, too! Complimentary viewing of this! Happy Holidays everyone!
Indeed, most of their crappy, deadly repeatative movies really look like they were created within 15 days... no reason to write anything, the plotlines and the dialogues are almost always the same ANYWAY: just change the title, the characters names, the name of the fictional smalltown, possibly the details of the job of the main characters, add a kid, deduct a dog, restyle *one* random sequence and Voila!! An entirely new(?😂) Hallmark Christmas Film is born... 😂😂😂 Fascinating the stuff about filming "snow scenes" at the dead of summer, though.😃 Any link to that documentary?
These aren't shovelware as much as they are pornography. Like most pornography, it's only purpose is to elicit a single emotion/reaction. Of course most porn wants you to feel arousal and Hallmark sells you on the idea that you will feel 'christmassy'; its a vague term yes but it's a feeling that most Western cultures seem to strive towards in December. It's the same as those books about abused kids that were popular in the 2000's that moms read on long flights. Only difference between Hallmark and actual porn is that Hallmark is a wonderful gift to the average youtuber wanting to review some inoffensive schlock. I return to the Drew Gooden and Pushing Up Rose's reviews of Christmas movies every year just so I can 'get off' on that intangible Christmassy feeling. Happy Birthday Jesus.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Im a hallmark camera crew AC in canada, I was so excited to see this video. Typically we use REDs on our non unions, but currently filming a series for next year with 2 alexa mini LFs and some rehoused leica lenses. It changed depending on who your DP is usually.
Dang! Yeah, I kinda figured REDs probably would be used more often now. I'm sure that's interesting depending on who the DP is! Hope you liked the video 😉
@@FrameVoyager Great video as always. Our team loved the way of waters camera video. 🙏🏽
Appreciate it! Yeah the avatar stuff is so interesting! Don't know if it will be a good movie but interesting what they are doing
It's usally depends on what the DP owns, that how they usally make their income
One thing I like is the Christmas light bokeh. What kind of lenses are used in these shoots?
I worked as a VFX artist on a few Hallmark films. Most of it involved adding snowfall, removing cables and crew, signage and day for night. We usually dealt with Alexa or Red footage. Saw some of the shows I worked on pop up in this video!
Very cool! So did hallmark hire you directly for the contract work or did a production company?
@@dandrescher4098 I worked at a post house at the time so it was through there that we got the Hallmark shows.
The Alexa’s dynamic range makes it excellent to ensure nothing is blown out in what usually ends up being an all white (snowy) set, also helping with the flat high key look as shadows wont fall off too quickly which will happen in really bright places with low dynamic range cameras. So if quick is the name of the game better camera trumps weaker one with more gaffing and lighting needed
The last like 6 videos I've seen on my home page from you are topics I haven't seen covered before and I didn't know I wanted. Thanks for being creative and supplying us with such high quality content!
I’m so excited to watch this. My ultimate goal is to film hallmark christmas movies. It would be the pinnacle of my existence.
Appreciate it! I definitely try to find interesting topics to talk about. There is so much going on in the industry that no one talks about!
@@FrameVoyager yeah there really is. Congratulation by the way on getting the Fran 8k reposted.
@@jonathonfriedl1766 appreciate it! We will be doing a follow up video on it here soon
I love Christmas Hallmark movies. My entire fsmily loves them. They are cheesy, warm, predictable and completely wholesome and feel good. Aside from thst, I love Christmas not as the day but as an aesthetic, vibe, feeling, music, movies etc the day feels like once it goes everybody forgets about it so i love to listen or watch Christmas whenever i feel like it. If itd winter or rainy so for me this is everything. Id love to live in a Christmas Hallmark movie.☺️🎄☃️
Great video!
I work as the EPK director of photography on hallmark movies shot in Winnipeg, Canada. Out of the 20 or so hallmark’s I’ve worked on, every one of them were shot with Alexa Minis.
Nice! Hope the video wasn't too offensive haha. Really didn't want to offend anyone in the industry!
And that's so fascinating to me that they use Alexa's for the shoots 🤔 makes sense but the footage just never looks like it's an ARRI 😅
I dont really see an alexa mini being overkill unless its the LF
I've acted in a few of these, just did a lead in my first Christmas movie this year! And yes, they shoot them in 15 days usually, less usually. Pretty easy scripts to remember though tbh.
hahaha I bet the scripts are easy to remember. Learn them once and you can film 50 movies! 🙃
Great summary. Fun to see the Christmas side. Just finished directing my first Hallmark “indie” film for thier summer time movies. Hallmark purchases 40-50 movies per year from outside producers, it’s a great way to get into feature films with relatively low risk if you can stay within the guidelines mentioned here.
Congrats! How did you get on their radar?
@@BuddyQuaid Before making the movie my team and I looked for a distributor that distributes hallmark-esq movies. We talked to them about what they needed to make the movie marketable and created the movie off those guidelines. We made it a win-win, we get input and their connections, and they get a movie they know they can sell.
I sometimes wanna live in a Xmas Hallmark movie, they're too good to be in
Me too.
Before launching Deity I worked a few Hallmark movies. We did them in 13 days, taking 1 day off in thr middle. Most of the crew would than take 6 days off and then start the next one. The production companies goal was 1.5 movies a month. Lifetime and GAC are the same way. ~Andrew
Cool. You trying to capture market from Warm Audio?
LOVED THIS GUYS! Please explore this further. Can you do a lens and lighting breakdown.
I live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and they film a ton of Hallmark movies here! I literally just walked past a production today. Love your camera breakdowns Frame Voyager...I've almost watched all of your videos. Please keep up the quality content!
I love how dynamic this channel is. Such interesting content and all explained so well and creatively. I always look forward to what you come up with next :)
Appreciate it! We are always trying to find new interesting topics to talk about!
I really like Hallmark Christmas movies. A _little_ suspension of disbelief may be required at times, but that is a part of the mystique and charm about them.
Exactly.
I agree that the use of Alexas is a bit overkill. But I wonder if using them is somewhat of a failsafe since the production schedule is so tight. Like you quoted from the actors they're lucky to get two takes. Springing for the best of the best on cameras and raw makes sense when things are moving so fast incase there was some kind of exposure issue.
That's true! But if you watch the shows they like don't "care" about some of that. Could always go for a red camera or a Sony?
A lot of these are owner operator our production company owned gear. If the company owns the Alexa and uses it on 10 of their movies every year they’re still saving money over renting. Same deal if they’re hiring a dp who owns a camera package already. I’ve worked on this type of Christmas movie shot on 2 MiniLFs and on fx9s, same production company and probably close to the same camera budget
True! I just was surprised more so that it was being used for this specific purpose 😅
I’m so glad to see this discussion happening here, especially from crew with boots on the ground. Years ago when I was working on something run-and-gun for a network, I suggested shooting raw as a safety measure, and they looked at me like I had two heads. The final grade wasn’t going to be very adventurous, so you could use all that “extra”latitude to fix up any exposure goofs.
And so why not save even more scratch by shooting with Blackmagic cameras? [ducking] 😝
Thanks for doing so much homework. Im in Chicago, and the last “major” thing I did was with an all Canadian crew, and I theorized a lot of these aspects you mentioned. All good stuff to know.
Dream UA-cam video. BRILLIANT
Yep, worked on one for Lifetime here in Canada a couple years back before the pandemic. We shot it on a pair of ARRI Amiras, though it didn’t feel like it. The camera team was union but the rest of us weren’t. They kinda oddly brought in American actors for most of the roles and were definitely more demanding and costly than almost all Canadian I’ve worked with. I guess being Lifetime, we had a couple kisses for our leads. We used a mixture of foam and snow mattes. We shot ours in 18 days with the last being a crazy expensive “one day” shoot at an airport thanks to 20hr hours for us department heads and our overtime.
My favourite writing rule really is "Be funny, but not too funny"
So funny 😂
Thor L&T could definitely have used this advice
💯💯💯 too much of the good in the 3rd movie for its own good
To be a bit fair with the Arri mini. Those rental prices are pretty affordable and since it's non-union, it wouldn't surprise me if it was owned by the DP themselves. Hahaha
True!!! Would you say they're cheaper than maybe some Sony or RED camera rentals? But that's true 😂
@@FrameVoyager Haha yeah good point! Even the higher end REDs go for a few hundred dollars less a-day. I love German prices 😂😂
The snow SFX guy is one of my buddies in the BYU film program! Maybe we need to write a Hallmark movie together 🤔
I have a friend who worked on one in September. The film is already out.
😅 just crazy!
That’s like a vlog 😂
'Tis the season and this is a really interesting vid. even for those of us who are not in the industry.
Thanks! We try and find topics that will be interesting to general audiences and even film nerds 😅
A friend of mine was a grip on one of those hallmark movies. It was shot on two arri Alexa. The story was taking place in London but the film was shot entirely in Belgium, mostly in Brussels. The film was released less than two months after finishing shooting... Those guys are crazy...
I’ve worked as 1st AC on one of their last one released this year
So feel free to ask any question you could have regarding camera, lenses, workflow …
🔥
How were the actors to work with?
Cool video. Enjoyed the insight on this volume style of production.
If they are hiring different production companies for each project one may own an Alexa and rent it to the production as an additional profitable line item.
Thanks! Yeah it's a weird one for sure. But could be on that Alexa rental idea 👀
ua-cam.com/video/KIAtVqTqJ7k/v-deo.html
CBS Sunday Morning just released a piece on Hallmark Christmas movies, too! Complimentary viewing of this!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Indeed, most of their crappy, deadly repeatative movies really look like they were created within 15 days... no reason to write anything, the plotlines and the dialogues are almost always the same ANYWAY: just change the title, the characters names, the name of the fictional smalltown, possibly the details of the job of the main characters, add a kid, deduct a dog, restyle *one* random sequence and Voila!! An entirely new(?😂) Hallmark Christmas Film is born... 😂😂😂
Fascinating the stuff about filming "snow scenes" at the dead of summer, though.😃 Any link to that documentary?
Why are you here, negative snail bait
These aren't shovelware as much as they are pornography.
Like most pornography, it's only purpose is to elicit a single emotion/reaction. Of course most porn wants you to feel arousal and Hallmark sells you on the idea that you will feel 'christmassy'; its a vague term yes but it's a feeling that most Western cultures seem to strive towards in December. It's the same as those books about abused kids that were popular in the 2000's that moms read on long flights.
Only difference between Hallmark and actual porn is that Hallmark is a wonderful gift to the average youtuber wanting to review some inoffensive schlock. I return to the Drew Gooden and Pushing Up Rose's reviews of Christmas movies every year just so I can 'get off' on that intangible Christmassy feeling.
Happy Birthday Jesus.
K
I was just talking to my mom about this
Politics or religion no.
Heterosexual Patriarchy, Christmas references, prayer and religious gospel, yes.
Lacie sha-bear, not kchabert 😂
😏
They could shoot these movies with my old Canon T3i and a good Canon Cine lens. Lol well maybe not a T3i. But the Canon R5C could definitely do it.
My problem with Hallmark Xmas movies is they're all basically the same.
But, don’t you love them
Dang, I just thought they used one of those iMovie-trailer presets
Oh, boo
ua-cam.com/video/pEBx0QFNI0M/v-deo.html
Mostly zooms on those sets for that speed.
Sadly, a story about 2 boys who love each other will never be on that channel. 2 girls will exist, if some graphical implied porn is offered.
Check out the holiday sitter! It just aired the other day on hallmark